Blackout fails to knock out SOPA

Despite a well-publicized, widespread "blackout" by some of the Internet's biggest superpowers, the current scourge of the online masses isn't going away yet.

As sites like Google, StumbleUpon, Facebook, Wikipedia and a slew of others continue to black out their sites today in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the bill's chief supporter refuses to back down. Representative Lamar Smith announced today that the endless stream of criticism and dwindling supporters won't keep him from moving forward with SOPA next month.

For those that aren't familiar with SOPA, here's a piece from the Wall Street Journal about what the proposed bill is all about.

The short definition is that SOPA expands the government's authority to shut down U.S.-based websites that have pirated content. That in itself is a noble goal, but what has the Internet up in arms is the broad language of the bill, which would allow innocent websites who unknowingly had pirated content to be prosecuted.

Obviously there is a lot of other issues that play into this controversy, but the overall protest is centered on the dramatic increase in censorship SOPA would lead to. Whether it's federally-mandated or simply sites being overly cautious, SOPA would drastically alter the state of the Internet...and not necessarily for the better.

What I saw at CES this year

Here's TechnoDad's list of winners from the annual Consumer Electronics Show. I've tried to choose items that are practical and fun:

• NuGuard GripStand 2 from NewerTech. This sturdy stand can even be used as a handle to carry your iPad 2 around. Also available for iPad.
• Escort Live. Utilizing Bluetooth, this radar detector power cord can communicate with your smart phone via an app that allows you and other drivers to instantly convey radar/laser threats.
• A new lineup of very affordable GE Digital cameras with prosumer features.
• Goal Zero's lineup of solar chargers for your gadgets.
• Tagg pet tracker prevents you from ever losing your dog using advanced GPS.
• Biscotti TV Phone. This small device (yes, it does look like a certain type of breakfast biscuit) turns your TV into a high-definition phone.
• CCrane's WiFi Radio allows you or your computer-less mom or dad to listen to their favorite Pandora or internet tunes anywhere there is WiFi.
• Sony's Vita PlayStation game device allows older kids and adults to have portable fun.

Not a pretty picture for Polaroid's tablet debut

As I watched the steady stream of CES updates flood my RSS feed last week, I went through my yearly mix of jaw-dropping enthusiasm and eye-rolling condescension. Tech bloggers who make the trek to Las Vegas love to highlight some of the ridiculous devices and gizmos that make it on to the showroom floor.

And while I understand the appeal of cheap, gimmicky gadgets that are everywhere at CES, they tend to come from the same companies that push those kinds of tacky products out year after year. It's another thing entirely for an established company to venture into cheap products.

This brings us to Polaroid. The former camera company announced its entry into the post-PC world with a lineup of tablets and e-readers. Before I go any further, there are 3 general principles I think any company should stick to when getting into the tablet business:

1. Make sure a tablet fits with your general company image and that it makes sense in your company portfolio.
2. Give yourself an advantage. It can be either be quality hardware or solid software are a must, but tablets have come a long way and you need to stay competitive.
3. Don't price yourself out of the market. Unless you're Apple, a $500 16GB tablet is a tough sell. 

Okay, back to Polaroid.

Whether or not Polaroid violated the first aforementioned principle is debatable. While I understand that Polaroid is trying to be a consumer electronics company and not a camera company, the name "Polaroid" just doesn't scream tablet computing.

That point aside, Polaroid could have made it a moot point by adhering to the second principle and delivering quality devices with a competitive edge. Unfortunately, critics across the board have said all of Polaroids new devices are underwhelming at best. Granted, the devices haven't been tested beyond the look and feel of the exterior, but that alone will enough to deter most consumers.

The question that has yet to be answered is price. Given the lack of quality here, these prices will have to be dirt cheap to give them an edge. Anything over $150 will probably be too much for consumers given the Kindle Fire is sitting at $200.

Polaroid is diving headfirst into the tablet and e-reader waters, but unfortunately for them they may be jumping in with proverbial anchors tied to its feet.

Why Nokia controls the fate of Windows OS

Microsoft struggled for years under the scrutiny of pundits and being bullied by post-PC era giants like Apple and Google, who shoved the design-challenged company into the proverbial locker like the nerd it was thought to be.

While ruling the PC and desktop computing world, they faded from the minds of consumers as programs, styluses and monitors were replaced by apps, smartphones and tablets.

This post-PC era ushered in a time when media consumption became more important than productivity, and concepts like "operating system" and "user interface" became more important than the specs of the devices that ran them. Even then, Microsoft didn't fare so well. Their ill-fated Zune mp3 player was laughed right off the market after coming late to the party.

But in 2011, Microsoft made itself over with the launch of its Windows Phone OS and re-emerged more hipster than tech dweeb, determined to shed its visually-impaired past and become trendy once again.

And unlike with the Zune, they may have gotten it right this time. Those same critics who mocked Microsoft's lack of design acumen have gone head over heels for their Windows Phone OS, nearly all of them saying it's superior to Android and some even going so far as to say it's better than iOS.

Despite the critical acclaim, sales of Windows Phones have been weak, and that's putting it lightly. But this year, Microsoft is looking to change that.

A Blue Chip Device

Many have argued that the biggest factor holding Microsoft back has been the lack of of a flagship phone. Android had the Motorola Droid and Apple had the iPhone. Both of those devices had the build quality and the marketing muscle to gain a foothold in the market (or in Apple's case, take over the market).

With the Lumia 800 and the newly-announced Lumia 900, the Windows Phone OS finally has a quality device that can attract new users to the platform. The Windows 7.5 OS (Mango)-powered Lumia 900 features a 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display and the distinctive, soft-touch black or cyan polycarbonate shell that the Lumia 800 made popular. It will be exclusive to AT&T, with support for 4G LTE connectivity.

Under the hood, it's got a 1.4GHz single core processor and 512MB of RAM. Those specs themselves aren't going to blow anyone away, but Nokia has been smart about the marketing here. Instead of trying to engage a spec war with the Android devices, they've been showing off the speed of the phone in real-world scenarios. It's an effective way of appealing to a broader consumer base, which is who Microsoft and Nokia desperately need to bring on board.

No OS can succeed without the right hardware, and thanks to Nokia, Microsoft is finally covered on that front.

Video Post: Tech Predictions for 2012

Following Andrea's social media predictions for the new year, Steve offers his predictions for technology in 2012. He covers an increased focus on television, the future of webOS and possible surprise acquisitions that could shake up the market.